


Safe.

by Eatons



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Andrew Minyard Centric, Andrew discovers he likes hugs, Andrew doesn’t understand crying, M/M, Neil lives in his mind rent free yeah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:14:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25637905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eatons/pseuds/Eatons
Summary: Andrew doesn’t realize his face is wet until he brings a shaky hand to his cheek and feels the hot drops coming down.
Relationships: Neil Josten & Andrew Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 2
Kudos: 165





	Safe.

Andrew doesn’t realize his face is wet untilhe brings a shaky hand to his cheek and feels the hot drops coming down. 

Andrew Minyard can’t remember the last time he cried. Maybe it was the first time he’d been violated all those years ago. Maybe it was when Cass Spear didn’t fight for him.

It didn’t matter, Andrew had always thought crying was a waste of time. For how much bullshit life had put him through, he’d never took the time nor cared to reflect on the past. He’d never let himself feel before. Before _Neil_ , that is.

He never wanted to feel again, is the thing. The way he feels about Neil is something he’s never invited nor wanted, and it makes him angry to no end. How can somebody come into his life and make a broken man feel alright again? 

He wanted to hate him. He wanted to hate Neil so bad for coming into his life 3 years ago, and making him feel again. Goddamn Neil. Neil with his stupid icy blue eyes, and auburn fire hair, and soft smile, and cautious hands. The thought catches Andrew by surprise. He hadn’t had the luxury of wanting since he was 5.

He shakes the thought away, and he’s moving before he can realize what he’s doing. 

Andrew finds himself at Neil’s bedroom door with his hand clenched around the doorknob. Before he can think he jerks the doorknob and stomps into the room. Neil is awake almost instantly, and calms when he sees Andrew’s black clothing in the night. He yawns and rubs the sleep out of his eyes, and flinches when Andrew turns on the light.

“Drew?” He asks, as he brings his face up to meet Andrew’s. Immediately, he frowns and his eyes nearly pop out of his head. Neil knows better than to mention it, so he waits for Andrew to speak.

Andrew tries and fails to return the blank expression to his face and says, “i hate you.”

Andrew doesn’t mean for the scorn in his voice to be so apparent, and Neil frowns deeper at the tone.

Neil slowly gets up from his bed, as if not to startle him, and makes his way across the room to meet Andrew.

They’re inches away, and Andrew feels like punching Neil in his stupid face. 

Neil hesitantly brings his arms up and around Andrew’s waist, inches away from touching him.

“Yes or no?” Neil asks.

Andrew nods, but doesn’t trust himself to speak.

Neil’s arms wrap around Andrew’s back, and he pulls him close, his chin resting on Andrew’s shoulder.

Andrew Minyard has never been hugged in his life, and not for lack of Nicky’s trying. He almost gets angry at the notion that he’d let Neil be the one to break that streak, but he can’t be bothered to care in this moment.

Andrew’s anger almost dissipates as a new feeling spreads through his chest. It’s unfamiliar, but warm. Andrew pins this new feeling as **safety**. Another thing Neil helped him experience for the first time.

For probably the first time in Andrew’s life, he allows himself to exhale. He allows himself to feel this warmth, and be okay with it. It irritates him to hell and back that Neil is the reason for all of this, but let’s himself be hugged anyway. 

Neil pulls away, and Andrew almost misses the warmth. 

Andrew decides he likes hugs.

He pushes the thought away, and finally wills his blank expression back to his face, “i hate you. I mean it,” he says, the scorn now missing.

Neil almost lets a smile reach his mouth, but stops himself.

Andrew doesn’t say another word, but walks over to Neil’s bed, kicks off his shoes, and climbs under the covers.

Neil follows suit on the opposite side, making sure to leave plenty of space between them.

They’d slept in the same bed together before, but only for convenience at the cabin 2 years ago. They’d never slept in the same bed together because they wanted to.

Just as Neil is about to reach sleep, Andrew speaks.

“Call me Drew again, and I will kill you,” he says, keeping his eyes fixated on the ceiling.

Neil smiles.

Intimacy was hard for Andrew, and Neil knew that. He was willing to wait a lifetime for intimacy if it meant Andrew was comfortable. 

Andrew wasn’t one to dwell on the past, but he couldn’t help the floodgate of memories coming back. He couldn’t help remembering the dejected weight of Neil’s initial reaction to his almost-confession that night. He couldn’t help remembering the anger he felt when Neil returned the attraction. He couldn’t help remembering when Neil made him feel like this was something that he could have on the rooftop that night. He couldn’t help remembering Neil’s fingers in his hair as their mouths met.

He couldn’t help remembering every detail that was Neil. He would kill him for occupying his thoughts so much, if he wasn’t Neil.

He wills the thoughts away, trying to get to sleep.

Finally, before he let sleep take him, he remembers the warm unfamiliarity of Neil’s safe embrace. Andrew exhales once more into the night. He knows he’s not okay yet, but he thinks maybe he will be. For the first time in Andrew’s life, he has hope. 

**Author's Note:**

> :) follow my twitter @fiImwrld !!


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